Story
When my father passed away a few years ago, I remember going through his things and wondering, how do I want to be remembered? What do I want my legacy to be? When I’m gone someday and my kids are going through my stuff, what do I want them to remember about me?
At this point in my life, I was lucky to have already had so many enriching experiences that most people can only dream about. But fear had held me back from one thing I always wanted to try: competing in a beauty pageant. I decided to enter a local bikini competition in Poulsbo, where I talked a lot about my community volunteer work and the causes I have supported over the years.
As a woman in her 30s (old, by pageant standards!) and a mom of three kiddos, I had absolutely no expectation that I would win. To me, it just sounded fun and I knew I would regret it if I had let fear stand in my way. That’s why I was shocked when they announced my name as the winner.
After the competition I went to thank the judges and one of them, who was a beauty queen herself, encouraged me to keep doing pageants. She told me I had a great stage presence, and my community volunteer work would get me far in competitions. I followed her advice and went on to win Mrs. Poulsbo in 2019, as well as Mrs. Washington World International, Ms. World America, and Ms. World International in 2019 and 2020.
I didn’t think I stood a chance in any of these competitions and went in as the underdog. Unlike my competitors I didn’t have any fancy coaches, I hadn’t competed internationally, and I hadn’t won any other titles. But I went into each competition with a positive mindset, tried my best, and mostly just had fun with it.
I’ve continued to have a lot of success in pageants and was named World Class Beauty Queens North America Ambassador in 2021 and hold my most recent titles of Miss Bikini WA Fitness, Miss Bikini Spokesmodel and World Class Bikini Models Ambassador in 2022.
Impact
As I began winning more titles, I quickly started to realize that I could use my high profile to help raise awareness and money for charities and causes I cared most about. I was also introduced to new organizations – both locally and internationally – that I never knew about before and needed more exposure.
The very first event I attended as Mrs. Poulsbo was a 5K race to raise money for children’s cancer charities. Since it was a children’s event, I really wanted to make it fun. I showed up to run the race in my bright, Barbie-pink ball gown and tennis shoes. My outfit was an instant hit with kids and parents – as well as the media, who wanted to interview me on camera which gave the charities a lot more publicity.
While I love being a little extra, I also have a genuine passion for talking to people and I always remain at a charity event from start to finish. I don’t want to be someone who shows up at an event, takes a photo, posts it online and claims they volunteered that day.
I want people to feel like I am approachable. I love telling little girls at events that their shoes are pretty and see their faces light up, or letting people try on my crown and take selfies with me. You never know what’s going on in someone’s life, and sometimes just putting a smile on their face can make the difference between a crummy day and a good day.
As a beauty queen, I’ve also been given an avenue to support charities that mean the most to me – including the Boys and Girls Club, which shares my passion for education and fills in many gaps for single moms, low-income families, or people who are just hustling and need a bit of help. This organization is very near and dear to me, and I was so happy I was able to help raise $25,000 in one night alone for their state fundraiser.
Above all, it’s also important for me to make an impact on young girls as a role model. I want to show them that they can be more than one thing when they are older. I often tell girls that I may be a beauty queen, but I also own my own business, and get to play with numbers when I do people’s taxes. It’s important for girls to know that their dreams don’t have to be limited to one thing. I want to set an example for girls that they can dream as big as they want to.